Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose for a ninth consecutive day on Thursday, as property developers Sunac China and Guangzhou R&F surged after Wanda Group said it had changed its previous asset disposal plan.

The Hang Seng Index rose 0.3 per cent, or 68.05 points, to 26,740.21, The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, or the H-share gauge of Chinese companies trading in the city, edged down 0.1 per cent, or 13.69 points, to 10,846.83.

Mainland equities increased for a third day, with the Shanghai Composite Index adding 0.5 per cent, or 18.13 points, to 3,747.88. The ChiNext gauge of smaller firms rose 0.2 per cent.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing led advances on Thursday, rising 4 per cent to HK$221.4 as Goldman Sachs lifted the target price of the stock by 2.1 per cent to HK$245. Blue chip AAC Technologies also outperformed, surging 5.8 per cent to a new record of HK$123.6.

A weaker US dollar and signs of a stabilising Chinese economy have spurred buying from overseas and mainland investors, fuelling a 22 per cent gain in the Hang Seng Index this year.

“Adequate liquidity from overseas and a strong Chinese economy have benefited Hong Kong stocks. And there’s probably still room for a further increase,” said Chen.